Reframing Divorce as Evolution, Not Dissolution with Tara Eisenhard

There is a great deal of shame associated with divorce, and much of the language we use around the process has an incredibly negative connotation—no one wants to be responsible for a ‘broken’ home or family. But Tara Eisenhard argues that we are all continually learning and growing, and divorce doesn’t have to be about dissolution. It can be seen as evolution, the opportunity to move forward toward new goals.

Tara is a divorce coach and mediator on a mission to change the conversation about divorce in our culture. She also offers online courses and speaks at community events, sharing her GOOD Divorce Philosophy and inspiring a mindful approach to the process. Tara’s articles have been featured in DivorceForce, The Huffington Post and StepMom Magazine, among others. She is the author of The D-Word: Divorce Through a Child’s eyes as well as the Relative Evolutions blog.

Today, Tara joins Katherine to share her take on divorce as an opportunity to move forward. She discusses the principles of nonviolent communication, explaining how divorcing couples can leverage the technique to get out of the conflict trap and closer to their goals. Tara speaks to her own positive experience as a child of divorce, walking us through the things her parents did well and how they might have improved. Listen in for Tara’s insight on how we define success or failure in a marriage and how to reframe the process as evolution—rather than dissolution.

TOPICS COVERED

Tara’s mission to reframe divorce as evolution, not dissolution

The way a new world opened up to Tara after her divorce

Tara’s work as a divorce coach

• One-on-one coaching
• Mediation services
• Online courses
• Speaking engagements

The similarities between physical and emotional wounds

The shame around the topic of divorce

The principles of nonviolent communication

• Identify feelings and needs, offer empathy
• Stop and consider goals in conflict scenario

How The D-Word serves as a tool for the whole family

Tara’s positive experience as a child of divorce

The value of a regular family meeting to facilitate dialogue

Tara’s GOOD Divorce Principles online course

• Goals
• Observations
• Options
• Dignity

How the landscape of divorce is changing

How we define success or failure in a marriage

Tara’s intention to help clients hear their own voice

CONNECT WITH TARA EISENHARD

Tara’s Website

RESOURCES

The D-Word: Divorce Through a Child’s Eyes by Tara Eisenhard

The GOOD Divorce Principles Course

CONNECT WITH KATHERINE MILLER

The Center for Understanding Conflict
Miller Law Group
Katherine on LinkedIn